'What about Kagan's bunch?'
'No evidence. Personally, I doubt it.'
'Why's that?'
'We've checked them out thoroughly.'
'Avigdor Laufer thinks they're a suspicious lot.'
'Avigdor Laufer thinks lots of things.'
The mayor laughed. 'Yes, he is a jackass.' The laughter died abruptly, making it seem false.
'The note,' said Daniel, 'may be someone trying to blame it on religious Jews.'
'Is that a professional opinion, or just your kipah speaking?'
'The Bible quotes were out of sequence, out of context. There was a manufactured quality to the note.'
'Fine, fine,' said the mayor with seeming uninterest.
!nt is, what are we doing about it?'
'Our procedures are sound. The only choice is to continue.'
The mayor narrowed his eyes'. 'No excuses, eh?'
Daniel shook his head.
'How long before progress?'
'I can't promise you anything. Serial killers are notoriously hard to catch.'
'Serial killers,' said the mayor, as if hearing the term for the first time. Then he mutterd something that sounded like 'killer ants.'
'Pardon me?'
'This Wilbur, when are you releasing him?'
'He has yet to be arraigned on the obstruction charge. The paperwork is in progress.'
'You're not actually expecting to take him to trial?'
'He's being treated like any other-'
'Come now, Pakad, we're not two Kurdis in some fertilizer factory, so stop shoveling shit.'
'He withheld material evidence.'
'Is he a murderer?'
'It's possible.'
'Probable?'
'No.'
'Then let him go. I don't need extra headaches on top of your? serial butcher.'
'He may prove useful-'
'In what way?'
'If the killer contacts him again-'
'He won't be contacted in prison, Pakad.'
'He can be released pending trial and kept under surveillance.'
'And if he chooses to leave the country?'
'That can be prevented.'
'You want to hold him hostage to use him? What is this-Beirut?'
'We have sufficient-'
'Let him go,' said the mayor. Suddenly his tone was waspish, his face hard as granite. He leaned forward and jabbed his cigar. Like a bayonet. A coin of ash fell on Daniel's desk.
'With all due respect-'
'If you respect me, stop arguing and let the idiot go. I've talked to his boss in New York, chairman of the corporation that owns the wire service. They know his conduct was unprofessional, promise to keep his arrest under wraps, transfer him somewhere he can't do any damage-not immediately, within a month or two. The appearance of capitulation must be avoided. But the deal's only good if we release him immediately.'
'In the meantime he writes.'
'He writes, but his articles-all articles concerning the Butcher case-will be reviewed by the security censor.'
'No one-not the locals or the foreigners-takes the censor seriously,' said Daniel. 'They know we pride ourselves on being more democratic than the Americans. Everything gets through.'
'His won't. One month, then the bastard's gone,' said the mayor. 'We're tolerated worse.' Another layer of ash dropped. 'Come on, Pakad, I need your pledge of cooperation, immediately. Wilbur's boss-this chairman-is
